The Story of Earth & Air
by Amira Elizabeth
Summary: These are a collection of stories about Lin, Tenzin, and people in their lives. There is no cheating, no hidden love children, none of that. These are their thoughts, feelings, etc. Consider these little stories as my take on certain scenes within the Legend of Korra. Ch. 7: I Think You're Pretty - Some young Lin and Tenzin. Lin decides to make a change to her appearance...
1. Before the Tournament

_Author's Note: I always thought thought there was more going on in this scene..._

* * *

When he approaches her he can see her tense up, the ever so slight stiffening of her already rigid and commanding form. An action only visible to him. It's been years since he's scrutinized her body, but he can still tell the little nuisances and subtle movements as if it were yesterday.

As if they were still lovers.

He knows that she could sense him coming. She always could tell it was him and back then she would've laughed:

"You can't sneak up on me, Twinkle Toes."

But now she is silent, directing her officers, trying to appear focused. She isn't laughing or teasing him. Korra was right – she hadn't moved past it, past them. For her it is still fresh.

He stands next to her in the empty arena. There is so much he realizes that she needs to hear from him and yet he knows that there is little he can say to make everything better. He wants to tell her that he cares for her still, that he is proud of her, that late at night he sometimes thinks of her.

But he is an Airbender and it is in his nature to avoid and not confront things head-on.

"How is the security sweep going?" He manages to ask.

She doesn't look at him. "Fine."

"They've checked underneath the stands?"

He can see her tense up in annoyance. "Yes."

They are curt, one-word answers. Clearly all she thinks he deserves. He tries again.

"And you have enough officers to cover all points of entry?"

That does it. She looks over at him, green eyes flashing with anger. He has questioned her judgement, her competency and that is completely unacceptable.

"I've got the skies, the bay, and every nook and cranny of this place covered…" She folds her arms across her chest and angrily turns away from him. "…now leave me alone and let me do my job."

He can tell he crossed the line with her and he is instantly sorry. She stands there, arms folded, tense and annoyed. And hurting. His conversation with Korra that afternoon had only confirmed what he had known deep in his heart – he had hurt this woman terribly. And while he knows the demise of their relationship wasn't entirely his fault, he knows that at this moment it doesn't matter. Not confronting her feelings all these years is his fault and he needs to accept the blame and fix the situation.

"Lin…" He says her name softly. He needs her to work with him, to help him fight this battle, to forgive him for what happened in the past. "…with so much on the line, it would be nice if we could help each other out. At least for one night."

He sees her relax ever so slightly and she turns to look at him.

"Like old times?" For a moment, her voice loses the edginess, the weariness, and instead is tinged with a little hope. A small smile plays at the corners of her mouth, her face softens. And suddenly she is beautiful to him once again.

He smiles at her and nods. "Like old times."

The small smile stays for just a moment longer before she turns away from him. Her shoulders relax a little, but her arms are still folded across her chest.

"Okay. I'll try to be less abrasive than usual."

Things are better now between them, but he is no fool. He knows he isn't completely off the hook yet.

"I would appreciate that."


	2. Let Him In

The metal door slid open and a young officer's face appeared.

"Chief, Councilman Tenzin is here."

Lin Beifong sighed and tried to keep the annoyance out of her voice. She didn't need to deal with Tenzin. She was already dealing with his disruptive student-to-be.

And since when did all the officers look barely out of school?

"Let him in." She muttered.

He was here. In her space, her territory, where she had control and where she ruled over all. And he was about to come waltzing in to her interrogation room, the picture of calm. A deceptive picture. She always knew he had to control his temper. A gift from his mother.

Lin stood and turned to face the doorway, hands clasped behind her back. She could hear the girl squirming in her chair, still handcuffed to the table.

The metal doorway slid open and the Airbender breezed into the interrogation room, his face serious. He looked past Lin and frowned at the young Avatar.

"Tenzin, sorry...I got a little side-tracked on my way to see you." The girl stammered.

The Airbender's frown deepened, eyes narrowing. He clearly wasn't going to accept any of her flimsy excuses. Lin stood there, silent, regarding him cooly. She was thankful she had learned long ago to hide her emotions, to school her face into a steely mask of calm. This was the first time in months she had been this close to him and her insides were twisting up into knots of annoyance, hurt, and outrage. He did this to her every time and she hated it. She was Lin Beifong, daughter of Toph Beifong and the chief of police of Republic City. She had devoted her life to the city, she had suffered because of the city, and once again the man who had left her so long ago was making her feel like a silly schoolgirl.

It was completely unacceptable. And now Tenzin had turned his attention to her and he was smiling.

"Lin, you are looking radiant as usual."

He was resorting to that? To buttering her up with flattery? Lin felt her annoyance growing. Of course she looked radiant. At fifty years old she was still beautiful, was still athletic, and she still possessed an amazing figure. She didn't need him standing in her interrogation room pointing out the obvious.

He was still smiling at her and she narrowed her eyes. Time to deflate his attempts to butter her up and to blame him for her afternoon being ruined by that ridiculous girl.

"Cut the garbage, Tenzin. Why is the Avatar in Republic City? I thought you were supposed to be moving down to the South Pole to train her?"

The smile on his face disappeared.

"My relocation has been delayed. The Avatar, on the other hand, will be heading back to the South Pole immediately..." Tenzin glared at the young Avatar. "Where she will stay put."

Lin could hear the girl protesting, but she ignored it. He wasn't leaving? He would still be there with his perfect wife and perfect family. And she would still have to deal with him.

He was speaking. "If you would be so kind as to drop the charges against Korra, I will take full responsibility for today's regrettable events, and cover all the damages."

The chief sighed and flicked her hand in the young Avatar's direction. The metal cuffs opened and the girl stood, rubbing her wrists. It was a small price to pay to get the two of them out of her sight.

"Fine." The metalbender folded her arms over her chest, eyes narrowing, lovely face in a scowl. "Get her out of my city."

"Always a pleasure, Lin." He says, turning his back to her and walking away. Back to his life on the island. Tenzin motions to the girl to follow him. "Let's go Korra."

And then as suddenly as he had swept into her interrogation room, he was gone. Lin shook her head, gathered her papers, and a small smile crept over her features. He said she looked radiant and in spite herself, she was glad she had let him in.


	3. She needs you

Author's note: This is not an actual scene, but more of a head canon of mine. there is a screenshot I've seen of all of them watching Korra race of out Katara's and the only one not watching her is Lin. Her head is down, she is clearly miserable. And no notices. It just kind of made me sad. So this was born.

* * *

Pema watched her husband follow the firebender and the distraught Korra out Katara's home and she sat down once again at the table, holding little Rohan against her. She was exhausted, giving birth and the stress of Amon taking her family and imprisoning her in the time span of only a few short days had left their mark on her physically and emotionally.

She heard everyone talking around her, all of them worried about Korra and the Avatar Spirit, all of them so focused on the dire news Katara had just given them. Korra's connection to the other elements was severed. What did this mean? What was going to happen now? Despair and concern hung heavily in the air. Even her normally boisterous children were subdued and clinging to her.

Movement caught Pema's eye and she looked up to see Lin Beifong sink to her knees, burying her face in her hands. She was the only one who wasn't speaking, the only one who looked even more lost and alone than Korra. No one else seemed to notice the woman's anguish and to Pema, it wasn't right that no one had thought to comfort the former metalbender. Taking a deep breath, she stood and moved over to where Lin was kneeling and carefully eased onto the floor beside her.

Cradling Rohan in one arm, Pema placed her other hand on Lin's shoulder. "I know I am probably the last person you want to hear this from, but I am so sorry."

Lin raised her head from her hands, her face tear-stained, green eyes shining with unshed tears. The sight took Pema slightly aback. She had never known Lin to cry. Not even at her own beloved mother's funeral had the policewoman shed a tear.

The young mother felt her heart break for the former chief. This woman had given up everything to save Pema's family and now she had nothing. She was lost, scared, and alone. The pain in Lin's eyes was almost too much and Pema fought the urge to look away.

"Thank you." The older woman managed to whisper, before burying her face into her hands again.

Pema sat, one hand gently resting on Lin's shoulder, offering her the only thing she could - support. She needed to be there for Lin now. It was the least she could do.

She hadn't noticed Tenzin's return until he had knelt beside her, wrapping an arm around both her and the baby. Pema turned to look at her husband, his face a picture of exhaustion and concern.

Lin occupied a special place in Tenzin's heart and he in hers. Pema knew that over a decade of marriage and four children couldn't change that. She knew that the love she and Tenzin had for each other couldn't change that. And she knew that was what Lin needed most. With a calm voice, she simply said:

"She needs you."

The young mother disentangled herself from her husband's embrace and stood, moving back to her former position at the table. Pema watched as Tenzin wrapped his arms around Lin, watched as she sank against him, and watched him stroke her hair as she sobbed.

She sat there, letting Tenzin and Lin have their space. Letting Lin have exactly what she needed.

It was after all, Pema thought as she felt her baby squirm in her arms and saw her children safe and unharmed, the least she could do


	4. She Would Be Perfect

**Author's Note:** This story focuses on a couple of my head canons - Lin loves to read and used to read to her mom, Lin becomes "Aunt Lin" to the kids, her sacrifice really makes her part of the family, and of course there are still some jealousies and growing pains any time someone new becomes close to a family. I also think that once she got her bending back and her and Tenzin repaired their friendship, that Lin sort of lightened up a bit.

I really like the Airbender family and I like how possibly Lin could be incorporated into it. And I like Pema and exploring her perspective on Lin.

I know this doesn't fit into a scene and I've sort of deviated from the original intent of this series, but I had to put this one somewhere. And it sort of fits with the title. :D

* * *

"And then the great mountain spirit pushed the earth higher, helping the princess reach her lover who was trapped amongst the stars. She reached up and..."

"I didn't know you liked to read stories aloud?" Pema stood in the doorway of the temple's library, baby Rohan balanced on one hip, shocked at the sight before her.

Lin Beifong and her three older children looked up at her, the four of them sprawled out on the floor on their stomachs, surrounded by piles of books. Jinora and Ikki were cuddled up against both sides of the policewoman and Meelo was laying on her back, his chin resting on her shoulder.

"Oh my gosh, Mommy, Aunt Lin is the best at reading stories! She does all the voices! Even a dragon! Roaaarrrrrr!" Ikki said excitedly.

"Yeah Mommy! She's the best!" Meelo shouted, causing Lin to wince slightly.

Jinora held up a small blue book that she had been clutching. "Look Mother, Aunt Lin bought me my very own copy of Sanna's Water Tribe fables. You know the ones Aunt Kya used to tell us."

Pema felt her chest tighten and she tried desperately to blink back the tears. She knew it was irrational, but she couldn't help feel a little jealous of the obvious rapport the beautiful metalbender had developed with her children.

"That's wonderful, sweetie." She said with a forced smile. Little Rohan began to fuss and Pema breathed a small sigh of relief. Never before had she been more thankful for a messy diaper needing changing.

"I need to change him. You kids have fun." She said quickly before rushing off to change the baby.

"Aunt Lin reads the best, Aunt Lin bought me a book..." Pema's muttered to herself as she changed Rohan's diaper. She cringed when she heard Lin and the children laugh. "It's all 'Aunt Lin this' or 'Aunt Lin that.'"

The young mother choked back a sob and buried her face in her hands. She didn't know why she was feeling like this and she was ashamed of herself for being so jealous and petty, but she couldn't help it.

"Pema, are you okay?"

She raised her head at the sound of her husband's voice. She wiped her eyes, picked up Rohan, and turned to face him.

"Yes, I'm fine. Just tired." Pema smiled weakly. Tenzin frowned, he clearly wasn't buying it and he closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around his wife.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Did you know she likes to read aloud?" Pema said softly. Tenzin nodded.

"Lin? Yes, I did. She used to read to her mother when she was a little girl. You should have seen how proud Aunt Toph was the first time Lin read to her. It was a way for them to bond using something other than bending."

"Really? She used to read to her mother?"

Tenzin nodded. "It was something they used to do together and it was something they continued to do for years. Every night when she was little and then a few times a week when she moved out, Lin would read to Toph. They would laugh and discuss the stories. Lin could do every voice in the story. She was great. Sometimes even my family would join them. Lin even came over and read to my father when he was suffering from that last illness."

The Airbender's voice suddenly became sad. "She stopped reading when Aunt Toph died. She donated all her books to the library. It's nice to hear her doing it again. And the children seem to love it."

Pema smiled at the memory of seeing her children sprawled out with the chief, all of them smiling and focused on the story the older woman was reading to them, of seeing Lin's normally calm and collected demeanor change into an animated, lively one, her green eyes shining with excitement.

"Yes, they do."

The young mother suddenly realized that Lin and children were helping each other heal from their recent traumas because of Amon and that was certainly a good thing.

With Tenzin's arm wrapped around Pema's shoulders and Rohan cradled against his mother, the couple entered the library. Ikki jumped up from where she had been laying and wrapped her arms around her mother's waist.

"Join us, Mommy! You too, Daddy!" She pulled them down to the floor. "We were just going to start a new story! Aunt Lin, can Mommy read the part of the brave princess?"

Both women shared a smile. Yes, they were all healing.

"Of course." Lin said. "She would be perfect."


	5. Broken Heart

**Author's note:** This takes place during "And the Winner Is..." Sort of my take on why Lin is the way she is around Tenzin in that ep and prior to that ep. And maybe why she hasn't "moved past it" as Tenzin claims she has.

* * *

Of course he had broken her heart. Changed who she was. Changed her ability to trust, her ability to believe in someone, her ability to find safety in someone else. She had done with him what a woman like her is not known to do - let her guard down. And in the process she got hurt.

Fundamentally she understood why their relationship ended, she fully acknowledged there had been fault on both sides. He needed to have children, she needed her job, he needed the stability of a wife and family, she needed her freedom to be the woman that she was. But deep in her heart she wondered why her love had not been enough for him. Why what she had to offer had not been enough.

In the days and weeks following their breakup, she had sat alone in her apartment letting her emotions get the better of her. At work she was a mask of professionalism and perfection, her voice developing a cutting edge to it, her drive and determination to be the best only increased until it was almost unhealthy. At home, however, the self doubt slowly eroded her confidence in anything other than her ability to do her job. She became rigid and hard, steely and unyielding, walling herself up until little remained of the woman she thought he had loved.

Unlike him, Republic City had never let her down. It never gave her a reason to doubt herself. Out there on the streets she was the brave and beautiful Lin Beifong, she was the Chief of Police, a woman to be both feared and respected. Her officers idolized her and maybe even had fallen a little in love with her. She was all power and fierceness, brains and beauty. On the job she was the epitome of confidence, walking with her back straight and head held high. No one would have guessed she was a woman nursing a broken heart.

But inside the walls of her apartment, she was someone she would never admit to being - a scared, lonely woman. A woman who had lost the only man she had ever truly loved, who had lost her best friend, her confidant, and her soulmate.

There had been others. She was not a nun, the want and the need to be loved and desired was still there, but she had found no satisfaction in any of them. Not the closeness she needed, not the safety that would allow her to let down her guard. And in the end, as she had feared, they had let her down. She had represented only a sexual conquest to them, the way into the exclusive club of men who had bagged Lin Beifong, Chief of Police. She was a beautiful and wild creature to be conquered if only for a night, rather than a woman to be loved for the rest of her life. And eventually these others had merely become ways to tame the occasional surge of need to be touched, to be filled, the need to wrap her limbs around the warm body of another man who desired her if only temporarily.

Lin wanted to believe in someone again, wanted to love and be loved again. She might be middle-aged with a reputation for being something of a hardass, she might be set in her ways and stubborn as hell, and she might have lived over a decade of her adult life alone, but it didn't mean she liked being alone.

She missed coming home and telling him about her day, she missed waiting anxiously for a letter from him as he traveled (there were always two letters - one telling her about all he had done and seen and one telling her all the things he was going to do to her as soon as he got home), she missed the lazy mornings of lovemaking and breakfast in bed. She missed how before they fell asleep he would reach over, brush her hair from her face, and tell her she was beautiful. She missed the way he would curl his larger hand around her smaller one, entwining their fingers, and refusing to let go when she attempted to resist his constant need to hold her hand in public. She missed the private jokes, the long conversations, and even the silences. She missed the way he smiled at her, the way he made her feel entirely loved.

Over a decade later and she still missed all of it as deeply as if their breakup had been yesterday. Seeing him, hearing his voice only brought it all to the surface again. It made her feel something that she hated - vulnerable. It reminded her of what she had lost and what she had not yet been able to find again. It reminded her that he had moved on while she was still trying to pick up the pieces. Of course he had already found the person to move on with when they had broken up. And maybe that was what hurt her the most - the apparent ease of replacing her with another woman. His ability to easily move from making love to her one moment to having a baby with another woman in the next.

It wasn't a fair assessment on her part and Lin knew that rationally. But since when did rationally ever figure in to matters of the heart. She was still angry, still hurt, and as much as she didn't want to admit it - she still loved him.

She wanted to tell him everything she hadn't yet found the courage to say, but what good would it do now. He had his wife and his children. She was not the sort of woman to break up a happy home. At this point the only thing she could do was put up the barrier that made her voice sound perpetually annoyed with him, that made her appear indifferent to him. She wore that barrier like a second suit of armor, protecting her and her heart from any further harm.

Except on that night, as she stood near him in the arena and he gently said her name, the barrier began to weaken.


	6. Wounded

**Author's Note: This takes place after everyone arrives at the South Pole and after Korra and everyone learns that Katara cannot return bending. Use your imaginations and pretend that the scene with Korra getting her bending back and events surrounding it happened over a period of days.**

* * *

"Lin, are you okay?"

Pema stood outside the closed door of Katara's second guest room, having heard groans and the occasional swear word uttered in frustration coming from within. She was growing concerned, not only for the woman in the guest room, but also because Meelo had a tendency to repeat everything he heard. The last thing Pema needed was him blurting out some of the things coming from the former metalbender's mouth.

"I can't get all the clasps undone." The older woman finally said, her voice muffled by the door.

"Let me in and I will help you."

Pema heard the woman sigh. "All right. Come in."

Seeing the sight before her when she opened the door, the young mother didn't know whether to laugh or feel sorry for Lin Beifong. The older woman was standing barefoot in the middle of the room, her silvery hair a sweaty mess of wild curls and tangles, and random pieces of her armor were laying around her.

"I can't get this off." The former policewoman tugged at the collar of the uniform. "There are clasps that hold all this together. Normally I'd just be able to bend this whole mess off, but...well...I..."

"...need some help getting the clasps undone." Pema finished, smiling gently.

After about thirty minutes, a few groans of frustration of her own, and two pairs of pliers, Pema was finally able to help Lin lift the chest and back pieces of her uniform off. The former policewoman was now clad only in her gray uniform pants, chest bindings, and a camisole that was bloodied and had burn marks. The younger woman gasped.

"Lin! Are you all right? What did they..."

The older woman silenced her with a look. "I'm fine. I don't want to talk about it."

She tried to pull the camisole over her head, gritting her teeth and wincing in pain.

"Lin, you are not fine."

"I told you..."

"Quit being so difficult. I am going to get a pair of scissors so we can get those off easier." Pema's voice was stern. "I swear, even my children don't argue this much with me."

Lin glared at the other woman as she left the room.

"I am not more difficult than those children." She muttered under her breath.

Pema came back a few moments later with a pair of scissors and standing behind Lin, she slowly began to cut away the older woman's camisole and chest bindings. She heard a gasp of pain as she gently pulled the soiled fabric away from the former metalbender's skin.

"I'm sorry. It's stuck to your wounds." Pema said.

After a few more minutes, she had the clothes cut completely and she gently pulled the rest of the fabric from Lin's back, letting the soiled garments fall to floor. Pema was a little surprised at how suddenly Lin seemed so delicate as she stood there, arms across her bare breasts and shivering. It was then the younger woman got a look at the full extent of Lin's injuries.

The policewoman's back, arms, and torso were a mess of bruises, cuts, and burns.

"Spirits..." Pema gasped.

"Yeah, Equalist hospitality." Lin hugged her arms closer to her chest. "They pried my armor off of me when they figured out it had clasps. Mother insisted when the armor was being designed that it had a way to be removed if the wearer was unconscious and couldn't bend."

The older woman sighed. "I think that's why I couldn't get it off now. They must have damaged the clasps."

"Oh Lin, I am so sorry. If we had known..."

"You would have done what? Pitied me?"

"No..." Pema sighed wearily. "We would have helped you sooner. We would have gotten you out of that armor. We would have helped your injuries. We didn't know what had happened to you after you were captured. All Tenzin said was that he found you near where I was being held prisoner and that Amon had taken your bending. And he didn't say anything about your injuries."

"That's because he didn't know. I had managed to get my armor back on before he found me." Lin looked at Pema, reaching out to put a hand on the younger woman's shoulder. "Look, I knew what I was in for when I jumped off Oogi. I knew I would lose my bending. And Amon's people were not afraid of electrocuting people, so I knew there was a possibility I could be tortured for information."

Pema watched as Lin's green eyes fill with tears, despair on her lovely face, the bravado fading.

"But when they told me you all had been captured as well, that felt worse than anything they had put me through." Lin said, her voice barely more than a whisper. She was once again holding both arms across her chest and she was trembling.

Without a word, the young mother unwound the red fabric that was draped about her torso and handed it to the older woman, who took it and gingerly wrapped it around her chest and back in an effort to cover up.

"Thank you."

Both women stared at each other for a moment, years of animosity, anger, and hurt fading away. It was no longer the time for such things. They had been through so much, united against so much.

"I'll go get Katara..." Pema finally said, before turning to open the door.

"No!" Lin cried out. "Please don't. I can't let her see this. I can't let her see me like this!"

"Lin, you need a healer. Please let me get Katara." Pema's green eyes were tight with worry and concern. "Please. She would want to help you."

The older woman sighed, closed her eyes, and finally nodded, taking a seat on the floor as she felt her legs give out. She was so tired and battered, both emotionally and physically that she hadn't even realized younger woman had left the room until she heard Pema and Katara's voices in the hallway.

"Why didn't you come get me sooner?"

"I didn't know she was injured until we got her armor off. She didn't tell anyone."

Katara swept into the room and sat her healers' kit on the floor. She slowly knelt down in front of Lin and cupped the woman's face in her hands.

"Oh my brave girl..." The old woman kissed Lin's forehead and wiped away the few stray tears that fell. "You are so stubborn. Why didn't you tell anyone you were this hurt."

"I didn't save them. Amon still captured them and nearly took their bending. I failed. I failed the city, I failed my officers, and I failed Tenzin and the children. I tried to keep them all safe."

Pema sat on the bed, trying to blink back the tears that were threatening to fall. She couldn't believe that the former metalbender was feeling that way. She had seen Lin, without a thought to her own safety and well-being, leap from Oogi in an attempt to disable the airships. It wasn't her fault that unbeknownst to them, other airships had been patrolling the area and had zeroed in on their position upon receiving a distress call that at least one of the pursuing airships was disabled.

"I know you did." Katara said, gently. She brushed an errant lock of Lin's steel-gray hair from her eyes. "Tenzin told me what happened when you all fled the island."

"But..."

"But nothing...you can't be earth and metal all the time, Lin. You are human and sometimes things, even when we do everything right, don't always work out. Fifty years old and I still have to remind you of this..." The waterbender said with a smile as she wrapped her arms around the trembling woman, knowing that the emotional wounds needed just as much tending to as the physical ones. "You put so much on yourself, Lin. You always have, even as a little girl. But I am so proud of you and I know your mother would have been as well."

After a few moments, Katara released the former metalbender and smiled at her, placing a wrinkled hand on her scarred cheek. "You might not believe it now, but things will be okay. You will go on, Korra will go on, and maybe one day we can find a way to make everyone whole again. It just might take some time."

The waterbender unpacked her healers' kit, uncorking the water skin and drawing the water out of it. It flowed around her hand, a faint bluish glow emanating from the liquid. She pressed the water against Lin's shoulder and upper arm and the woman visibly relaxed, the healing water cool against her damaged skin and tissues.

"You're right." Lin returned Katara's smile, feeling her body begin to heal. "We will go on."


	7. I Think You're Pretty

**Author's Note:** I just had to write some young Lin and Tenzin.

* * *

The sound of her classmates' laughter echoed in her ears as she ran. Lin had to get away from that horrible school with its horrible students and teachers. No one there was ever nice to her except for Tenzin. She ran all the way to the docks and ducked behind a couple of crates. Sinking down to the ground, she drew her knees to her chest, burying her face in her arms as she sobbed.

They were all idiots. What was worse was that she felt like an even bigger idiot because Beifongs didn't let such petty things bother them.

"I thought I would find you down here."

Lin looked up to see Tenzin standing over her.

"How...?"

"You always head to the island whenever something's bothering you and the ferry hasn't left yet. So I knew you'd be here somewhere." He sat down in front of her. "Besides, you are my best friend. I know how you operate."

"You'll get in trouble for skipping class, airhead."

"I know, but I wanted to make sure you were okay."

Lin smiled a little before dissolving once again into tears.

"I'm so stupid..."

"Where did you get the idea to do that with your hair anyway." Tenzin fingered strands of her singed hair. "I always thought it looked nice just in a braid."

Lin sniffed and wiped away the tears on her cheeks. "Grandmother Poppy brought this book about hair styles and fashion in Ba Sing Se with her when she last visited as a gift for me. You know I've never been into that kind of stuff, but I started looking through it."

The girl looked down at her trembling hands and sighed. "I just thought I'd try something new. I guess I just wanted to feel pretty for once."

Lin buried her face in her hands, her whole body shaking as she sobbed. Tenzin did the only thing he could think of to do and he scooted close to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. The young earthbender slumped against him, burying her face in his shirt.

"I think you're pretty." He finally said.

"What?" Lin pulled back and stared at him. "You think I'm pretty?"

"Yeah."

"What about Loma or Yi-Ming?"

"What about them?"

"Aren't they pretty?" Lin suddenly straightened up to look at him. "To you I mean?"

"They're all right. I dunno but it always seems like girls like them try too hard. All that make-up and those ridiculous complicated hair-dos. It must take them hours to get ready every morning." Gently Tenzin wiped away a stray tear from her cheek with a fingertip. "I think you are way prettier."

Lin blushed. "Really?"

"Yeah. Of course not right now because your eyes are all puffy and your nose is runny and well your hair..." The boy's voice trailed off under the ferocity of her glare. "I should've just stopped at 'yeah.'"

"You think?" She punched him in the upper arm.

"Ow! I'm going to feel that for days." Tenzin pushed up the sleeve of his tunic to his shoulder and inspected the spot where she had hit him. "And I am going to have a bruise. Thanks so much."

Lin rolled her eyes. "Oh don't be such a baby."

"I'm the baby? Who is in here blubbering? Not me."

"Watch it, airbender." She said, continuing to glare at him. But suddenly she smiled and threw her arms impulsively around his neck, hugging him. "Thank you."

The young Airbender returned the hug before pulling away to push the burned and damaged locks of hair away from her face. "I bet Mom could fix this."

Lin's green eyes went wide with panic. "Oh no, Tenzin, no no no..." She shook her head and scooted away from him. "I do not want your mother seeing me."

"Oh please, Mom's seen worse."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I was like five and Kya was fifteen and she apparently ticked off some girl - I think Kya was talking to the girl's boyfriend or something stupid like that. Anyway, the girl was really mad and her and her friends cornered Kya in the girls' bathroom and cut one of her braids off and a hair loopy. And one of the girls poured glue into Kya's hair. It was a mess."

"That's awful."

"Yeah. Mom always said girls, especially teenage girls, can be really mean. But anyway, apparently Mom and Dad had to go to the school and the parents of all the girls who had attacked Kya were all embarrassed because it was the Avatar's daughter. I think they got suspended. Kya was so upset about her hair, but Mom fixed it and in the end all the other girls were jealous because Kya's hair looked really pretty."

Tenzin smiled at her and stood up. "So I don't think Mom will have any trouble fixing yours." He offered her his hand and pulled her to her feet.

"Okay..." Lin followed him reluctantly to the ferry.

* * *

Tenzin paced the living room nervously glancing every now and then at the closed door to his parents' bedroom.

"Your mother knows what she's doing, son." Avatar Aang said from where he sat on the couch. The handsome 45-year old Airbender did not even bother to keep the amusement out of his voice. "You do remember that time with Kya..."

"Yeah, yeah..." The boy interrupted. "Lin was afraid Mom would freak out when she saw her hair so I told Lin that story about Kya and how it all worked out."

"Well then you know Lin's hair is in very capable hands. Now come on and sit down before you wear a path into the floorboards and then your mother will really have an epic freak out."

"What am I going to freak out about?"

Both Aang and Tenzin turned to see Katara standing in the entrance to the hallway, her hands on her hips, a playful gleam in her eyes. Aang stood up and crossed the room, smiling sweetly at his wife.

"Oh nothing. I was telling our son how capable you are at fixing hair problems, o' beautiful wife of mine." The Avatar said, placing a kiss on Katara's cheek.

The waterbender rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest. "Mmm-hmm whatever, you shameless flatterer." She leaned in close, her lips gently brushing against the sensitive flesh of Aang's earlobe. "I might just have to think of a way to punish you later for that little remark."

"Oh spirits, Mom. Gross. I'm right here, you know." Tenzin regarded his blushing parents with annoyance. "Where's Lin?"

Katara cleared her throat, embarrassed that for a brief moment she had forgotten that her youngest son was in the room. "Lin honey, come on out here and let everyone see."

The girl emerged from Aang and Katara's bedroom, making her way into the living room. The was no sound, no one was saying anything and Lin's face went red with embarrassment. Aang and Tenzin were just staring, mouths open. She looked at Katara with tears in her eyes.

"They hate it." She whispered.

Katara glared at her son and her husband. "Would you two quit standing around with your mouths hanging open and say something."

Tenzin was the first to find his voice. "Wow..."

"Yeah. Double wow."

"Does that mean they like it?" Lin asked, her eyes still focused on Katara. She was afraid to look at her friend and his father, afraid that they would confirm what she feared - that her hair looked awful.

Katara laughed. "I would say judging by the dopey smiles on their faces, the answer is yes."

Lin finally looked in their direction, catching Tenzin's gaze. He smiled at her. "Do you really like it?"

Katara had done her job well. Lin's dark locks were now shoulder length and framed her face in layered waves. The shorter hairstyle had taken some of the weight off of the girl's hair and Tenzin was shocked to see it was naturally wavy.

"Yeah..." He said softly. "It is just perfect."


End file.
